Shorter course of radiation therapy effective in treating men with prostate cancerA new UCLA-led study shows that men with low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer can safely undergo higher doses of radiation over a significantly shorter period of time and still have the same, successful outcomes as from a much longer course of treatment.This type of radiation, known as stereotactic body radiotherapy, is a form of external beam radiation therapy and reduces the duration of treatment from 45 days to four to five days. The approach has been in use since 2000, but has not yet been widely adopted because of concerns over how safe and effective this approach would be in the long term.“Most men with lo...Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - February 8, 2019 Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news

University of Maryland doctors treat first breast cancer patients with GammaPod radiotherapy(University of Maryland Medical Center) Radiation oncologists at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC) are now treating patients with the GammaPod  , a new FDA-cleared radiation therapy for early-stage breast cancer. The UMGCCC is the first site to treat patients with this first-of-its-kind system, which was invented by University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) scientists and physicians. This is the only external-beam radiation delivery system specifically designed to treat breast cancer. (Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer)Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - December 6, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news

New ASTRO/ASCO/AUA guideline for prostate cancer supports shortened radiation therapy(American Society for Radiation Oncology) Three prominent medical societies today issued a new clinical guideline for physicians treating men with early-stage prostate cancer using external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). Adoption of the guideline could make treatment shorter and more convenient for many patients with prostate cancer. Developed by a panel of experts from ASTRO, ASCO and AUA, the new guideline recommends offering patients a treatment option known as hypofractionated radiation therapy as an alternative to longer, conventional courses of radiation. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - October 11, 2018 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

Radiofrequency Ablation Fixes Mesothelioma Recurrence in Case StudyRadiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been used successfully in Japan to treat post-surgery recurrence of malignant pleural mesothelioma, according to a case study published recently by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
Although RFA has been utilized for several years to treat various thoracic lesions, the study authors believe this is the first time it worked effectively with mesothelioma cancer cells.
“It shows promising efficacy,” the authors wrote. “Radiofrequency should be considered an option for treating recurrence of MPM [malignant pleural mesothelioma].”
RFA is a minimally invasive medical proc...Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - August 15, 2018 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Matt Mauney Source Type: news

Augmenix scores reimbursement code for SpaceOarAugmenix said today it won a category 1 current procedural terminology reimbursement code from the American Medical Association for periprostatic implantation of biodegradable material, covering its flagship SpaceOAR device.
The SpaceOar is designed to separate the prostate from the rectal wall during radiation treatment for prostate cancer, Augmenix said.
The device is delivered through a small needle as a liquid, which then solidifies into a soft gel that expands the space between the prostate and rectum during radiotherapy. The substance then liquefies and is absorbed and cleared from the body in the patient&r...Source: Mass Device - November 9, 2016 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Fink Densford Tags: Business/Financial News Urology Augmenix Inc. Source Type: news

Study Compares Surgery, Radiation, and Active Monitoring to Treat Prostate CancerThis study will help inform that discussion for men making what is a highly personal, and often difficult choice,” said Brawley.The study involved about 1,600 men in the United Kingdom aged 50 to 69 who were diagnosed with prostate cancer after having an elevated PSA test result. The men were assigned randomly to get surgery to remove their prostate, external-beam radiation, or active monitoring.While the results showed no difference in death from prostate cancer among the groups after 10 years of monitoring, it remains to be seen whether differences will show up after a longer follow-up period. This could be especia...Source: American Cancer Society :: News and Features - September 16, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Prostate Cancer Source Type: news

Reflexion adds $6m to bring Series B to $52mCalifornia-based medtech group RefleXion Medical said yesterday it extended its Series B round of financing, bringing in an extra $6 million to bring the total for the round up to $52 million.
RefleXion Medical said it is developing a biology-guided radiotherapy system for cancer treatment, which is designed to use positron emission tomography to locate and identify tumors during treatments.
“RefleXion’s novel combination of PET imaging and external beam radiation therapy represents a significant innovation in localized cancer treatment. We look forward to identifying compelling clinical applications ...Source: Mass Device - July 20, 2016 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Fink Densford Tags: Business/Financial News Oncology RefleXion Medical Source Type: news

IsoRay touts brachytherapy brain cancer trialIsoRay (NYSE:ISR) today released results from a prospective trial of intraoperative brachytherapy using its Cesium-131 brachytherapy seeds, touting that 95% of treated tumors showed no regrowth at the operative site.
The study examined the use of the IsoRay’s seeds for treating recurrent aggressive meningiomas by applying seeds embedded in collagen tiles directly to brain tissue after tumor removal. IsoRay called the technique the “GammaTile” approach, but clarified that it is not commercially available.
A total of 95% of the treated tumors showed no radiographic evidence of regrowth of the tumor at ...Source: Mass Device - June 21, 2016 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Fink Densford Tags: Clinical Trials Neurological Radiosurgery IsoRay Source Type: news

Elekta inks U.S. brachytherapy distro deal with Kobold Medical.Elekta (STO:EKTA B) said yesterday it inked a distribution deal with Kobold Medical to distribute its brachytherapy applicators within the U.S.
Through the deal, Elekta will market and distribute 4 kobold applicators, as well as its prostate template, the company said.
“We are pleased to offer our brachytherapy users in the United States these high quality products from Kobold. Adding these solutions to our brachytherapy portfolio will help us better serve the needs of clinical providers,” Elekta North America exec veep Bill Yaeger said in a press release.
Included in the distribution deal is Kobold Medica...Source: Mass Device - June 16, 2016 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Fink Densford Tags: Business/Financial News Distribution Radiosurgery Elekta AB Kobold Medical Source Type: news

The 'Pinhole' Cancer Treatment You've Probably Never Heard ofImagine an exquisitely precise cancer therapy procedure done through a small opening in the body that can: Kill tumor cells, shrink tumors, or regrow the healthy part of a cancerous organ. Deliver chemotherapy or radiation directly to the cancer site. Usually be done as an outpatient procedure with fewer side effects than conventional treatments like chemotherapy. Potentially treat many types of cancer, either alone or combined with other therapies. Sounds too good to be true, right? Not necessarily, since this type of therapy, called interventional oncology, is now being performed hundreds of times every day by special...Source: Science - The Huffington Post - March 30, 2016 Category: Science Source Type: news

Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer, Now What: A New Study Shows That Surgery Is the Best OptionWith prostate cancer being one of the leading cancers in men, finding the best way to treat it has become increasingly important. A new study points to why surgery might be the best long term treatment option, especially for men with localized prostate cancer. Researchers from Odette Caner Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute (University of Toronto, Canada) conducted a meta-analysis of 19 studies comparing the success/survival rates of surgery vs. radiation. All in all, this added up to about 120,000 men who received either surgery or radiation as treatment for their localized prostate cancer. What researchers found was t...Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - December 17, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

What is and What To Expect from External Breast...Read about external beam breast radiation therapy, including what you can expect during a radiation session, potential side effects, and useful coping strategies during recovery. (Source: About.com Breast Cancer)Source: About.com Breast Cancer - October 31, 2015 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: breastcancer.guide at about.com Tags: health Source Type: news

FDA clears SonaCare HIFU prostate device, prompts Edap to yank de novo, go for 510kSonaCare said it won FDA pre market approval for its high intensity focused ultrasound device designed to treat prostate cancer, causing competitor EDAP (NSDQ:EDAP) to yank the de novo application for its Ablatherm HIFU.
SonaCare said its Sonablate 450 will be available in the U.S. this October.
“The FDA regulatory authorization to market Sonablate in the U.S. is a milestone for non-invasive prostate care and a tremendous gain for men’s health. Men all over the world, in the more than 49 countries where it has already been authorized for use, have had access to this technology for prostate ablation. There ...Source: Mass Device - October 15, 2015 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Fink Densford Tags: Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Oncology Pre-Market Approval (PMA) Regulatory/Compliance EDAP TMS SA SonaCare Medical Source Type: news

Permanent radiotherapy implants reduce risk of prostate cancer recurrence after 5 years(European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO)) Results from a randomized controlled trial to compare the use of permanent radioactive implants (brachytherapy) with dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy in patients with prostate cancer show that the men who received brachytherapy were twice as likely to be cancer-free five years later. The research will be presented at the 3rd ESTRO Forum in Barcelona, Spain, (Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer)Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - April 26, 2015 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news

Brachytherapy improves survival for inoperable early stage endometrial cancer(European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO)) Women who have early stage endometrial cancer and are inoperable tend to live longer if they have been treated with brachytherapy with or without external beam radiation, according to new research to be presented at the 3rd ESTRO Forum in Barcelona, Spain. (Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer)Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - April 25, 2015 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news

The 6 Injustices of Thyroid CancerImagine if your best friend -- the one who deserves one hell of a co-pay for the psych-worthy advice she doles out on a daily basis (with love and/or or a swift kick in the butt, as needed) suddenly couldn't speak.
My lifeline, Jill Gurfinkel, had a paralyzed vocal cord for what seemed like forever. Not from cheering for her then 7-year-old son at his hockey game or yelling at him to eat his vegetables or even from litigating in court (I don't mess around; my chief counsel is a badass lawyer). The only thing that has ever robbed her of her voice was thyroid cancer.
In Cindy Finch's recent HuffPost blog, "The 6 Inju...Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - February 3, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Patients who have left breast tumors have comparable OS to those with right breast tumors(American Society for Radiation Oncology) Tumor laterality (left-side vs. right-side) does not impact overall survival in breast cancer patients treated with breast-conserving surgery and adjuvant external beam radiation therapy, according to a study published in the Oct. 1, 2014 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology  Biology  Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology. (Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer)Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - October 20, 2014 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news

Convenient, less expensive, but possibly riskier new prostate cancer treatment: SBRTA faster and less expensive form of radiotherapy for treating prostate cancer may come at a price, according to a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers - a higher rate of urinary complications.The standard external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer is called intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is a newer treatment that delivers a greater dose of radiation per treatment than IMRT. As a result, patients receiving SBRT can complete an entire course of treatment in one to two weeks, compared to seven to nine weeks for IMRT. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)Source: Health News from Medical News Today - March 12, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Prostate / Prostate Cancer Source Type: news

EBRT reduces risk of subsequent mastectomy in patients with invasive breast cancer(American Society for Radiation Oncology) Standard external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) provided a higher breast preservation rate than brachytherapy in women age 66 and older with invasive breast cancer, according to a study published in the Feb. 1, 2014, print edition of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology. (Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer)Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - January 29, 2014 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news

New breast cancer study: Results of the TARGIT-A clinical trialA new clinical trial for breast cancer, published in The Lancet, shows that a single fraction of targeted intraoperative radiotherapy (TARGIT) delivered with the ZEISS INTRABEAM® at time of lumpectomy is non-inferior to traditional external beam radiation (EBRT) delivered over three to six weeks after breast conserving surgery, for a select group of patients."The most important benefit of TARGIT for a woman with breast cancer is that it allows her to complete her entire local treatment at the time of her operation, with lower toxicity to the breast, the heart and other organs. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)Source: Health News from Medical News Today - December 3, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Breast Cancer Source Type: news

"One-stop" radiotherapy could offer an alternative to lengthy and inconvenient post-surgery procedures for breast cancerTwo new studies, published in The Lancet and The Lancet Oncology, show that targeted radiotherapy delivered during surgery could offer a viable alternative to current procedures - which require women to attend daily radiotherapy sessions for weeks after surgery - for some women undergoing surgery for early breast cancer. Most women who undergo partial mastectomy (lumpectomy) surgery for breast cancer also complete a course of radiotherapy delivered to the whole of the affected breast (called external beam radiotherapy, EBRT)... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)Source: Health News from Medical News Today - November 11, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Breast Cancer Source Type: news